Joseph Niepce

March 7, 1765 -- July 5, 1833

Joseph Niepce

FACTS

Nationality: French

Gender: Male

Occupation: Inventor

Joseph Niepce was a french inventor. He is known for taking the first known photograph in 1825.

BIOGRAPHY

Camera Obscure

Joseph was experimenting with a camera obscure. The camera obscure was inverted images made by two wooden boxes, one carrying the lens and the other a ground-glass screen. He decided he wanted to invent a way to permanently capture an image. He experimented with lithography and silver chloride. His first successful photograph was taken using bitumen and lavender oil. Lavender oil is a solvent sometimes used in varnishes. First, he dissolved the bitumen in lavender oil, and then coated the sheet of pewter in this mixture. He put the sheet covered in the light capturing mixture into the camera obscure and waited 8 hours. After about 8 hours, Joseph removed the sheet and washed it in lavender oil. This removed the unexposed bitumen. This created an image, but it faded fast.

FIRST PHOTO

The first successful photograph taken by Joseph Niepce was in 1825. He called the process he used heliography which means "sun writing". He placed transparent engravings on plates covered with light-sensitive varnishes and then exposed them to sunlight.

first photo

Joseph Niepce collaborated with Louise Daguerre and created the physautotype, a process which also used lavender oil. Niepce died before he could be given any credit for his work on this invention. France payed his estate 4,000 francs yearly after his son fought for his fathers credit.

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